This time next year the Isle of Man will be getting ready to welcome The Queen’s Baton Relay in the build up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The relay will visit every nation and territory of the Commonwealth and symbolically unites the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. The baton will arrive on the Isle of Man on May 16, 2014, from the Guernsey and Jersey legs of the relay. It will leave the Island on Sunday May 18 and continue on its journey with the next stop being Northern Ireland – then it’s on to Wales, England, and its final destination of Glasgow. Details of the exact route it will take in the Isle of Man have yet to be finalised.

Tonia Lushington, Secretary General of the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association (IoM CGA) and Team Isle of Man’s Chef de Mission for the 2014 Games, said:

“The dates of The Queen’s Baton Relay have only recently been confirmed so the actual route that the relay will take in the Isle of Man has yet to be decided. But the IoM CGA will be aiming to involve all sports that will form part of the Island’s Glasgow 2014 team and bring the excitement of the Games to communities across the Island. The baton relay in itself unites the Isle of Man with all nations and territories in the Commonwealth and is a fine example of why the Games are known as the ‘Friendly Games’.”

The baton, which will be created especially for Glasgow 2014, will begin its journey on October 9 this year at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty The Queen will place her message to the Commonwealth inside the baton. From there, the baton will travel to Glasgow and begin its epic journey including travelling to the plains of Africa, the gleaming skyscrapers of Singapore, the tiny tropical islands of St Lucia and Dominica and Canada’s snow-capped mountains. Upon its return to Scotland, the baton will visit communities across the host country before arriving at its final destination – the opening ceremony at Celtic Park on July 23. In all, the baton will travel to 71 nations and territories over 288 days – a total distance of 118,085 miles.

The next Commonwealth Games will be held between July 23 and August 3, 2014. The team that the Isle of Man sends to Glasgow 2014 depends upon public support for fundraising events organised by the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association, which is a registered charity. The organisation is responsible for the publicity, fundraising, travel and support for Team Isle of Man’s participation at the Commonwealth Games. For the latest news about Team Isle of Man, and to make a donation to support the team, go to www.cga.im